Learn the dramatic story of the great flood basalts of the Columbia River Gorge which form its spectacular walls and waterfalls.

Join us for our annual potluck picnic, Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at 12:00 noon at Guy Talbot State Park in the Columbia Gorge (same location as last year). Learn the dramatic story of the surrounding Columbia River Gorge and the great flood basalts which form its spectacular walls and waterfalls. After the picnic, participants may wish to take the short walk to Latourell Falls, or drive to the trailhead near the freeway exit and hike up to Angel's Rest.

Bring your own beverages and we will provide the plates and plastic utensils. The format for the picnic will be a potluck. If your last name begins with:

A through G - bring a main dish H through P - bring a side dish or salad Q through Z - bring a dessert.

Ancient Walls: A Geological Walking Tour of Downtown Portland

Come see billion-year-old building stones and the fossils hidden under our feet. Join us Saturday, August 22nd 9:00 a.m. for a two-hour outdoor walking tour of downtown Portland’s geological mysteries and oddities. Bring good walking shoes, sunscreen and clothing for a cool, but possibly rapidly warming summer morning. Water and snacks are advisable, although the trip will end at a lunch stop. Open to public. Children under 12 must be supervised.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS TRIP IS CLOSED. President Janet Rasmussen will lead a field trip to the Steens Mountain area of Southeast Oregon. The first and last days are travel days. Participants are encouraged to make lodging plans at or near the Steens Mountain Resort (SMR), just a few miles east of the town of Frenchglen, Oregon. This trip will explore four general areas:

Diligent, talented, industrious and devoted are only some adjectives to describe Margaret Steere. Margaret was a native of Michigan, but came to Oregon early during her career. Schooled at the University of Michigan with degrees in geology, Margaret applied her skills in cartography for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. She joined the staff of Oregon’s Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and worked for 30 years as a geologist and geologic editor. Upon retirement, Margaret continued her service to the state as a volunteer. Margaret’s expertise in geology included paleontology as she utilized her skills to maintain and curate the collection for DOGAMI’s museum as well as authoring numerous articles on fossils.

President Janet's SE Oregon Scouting Trip (Take Two)

On Monday, June 1, Jan Kessler and I headed down to SE Oregon to scout my field trip stops for the September GSOC trip. My husband Doug and I did a preliminary trip last August.

We had Marli Miller's new Roadside Geology of Oregon with us so the navigator could read aloud from it as we travelled. It was very helpful. We stopped at Glass Buttes off Hwy 20 between Bend and Burns. Neither of us had been there before. The turnoff is on the south side of the highway, just west of milepost 77. Look for a cattle guard. I was disappointed that it wasn't a sparkling glass mountain as I had imagined.

President Janet Rasmussen called the meeting to order at the home of Rosemary Kenney. Other board members in attendance constituting quorum were Bo Nonn, Paul Edison-Lahm, Lawrence Purchase, Kirben Smoody, Sheila Alfsen, and John Piccinnini. Also in attendance was GSOC member Doug Rasmussen. The minutes of the April 11th, 2015 board meeting were approved. Treasurer’s Report (Submitted earlier by Dawn): Approved by the board.

Dedicated to Pacific Northwest Geology since 1935

The Geological Society of the Oregon Country (GSOC) is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon. The society is dedicated to the study of geology in the Pacific northwest and is open to persons with all levels of education and professional backgrounds.